doctorwhofanonfandomcom-20200216-history
The Blight and the Abbey
Less than five miles from the quiet village of Murton lies an abbey. Taken for granted, no-one can say for sure when the mysterious building was built or why, and how come it has been left untended for so many years. So why does a stranger come to Murton now? And what is his interest in Murton Abbey? Round One First round. Chapter One- Holbenilord A demure sun looked down from the pale sky, content to warm the still grass only gently and let tendrils of cloud drift by. The thatched roofs of quaint country houses glistened slightly, the last drops of dew gradually dimming and disappearing into the air. Cobbled stone roads felt the quiet breeze that permeated between the buildings, moving up from the south, and the leaves allowed themselves to bob slowly as it passed. Adam Westerly's front garden had blossomed into a thing of beauty this spring. Flowers of red, purple, and yellow pushed upwards to soak in the light from the skies, transforming what had been a bare patch of black soil into a riot of colour. A rabbit snuffled between their stalks, searching for something only it could say, and then shot off at the bark of an old sheepdog lying on the porch. The hound then settled its head back between its paws and drifted back into sleep. The old villager sighed and picked himself up from his chair, putting his weight on his thick cane and shuffling to the front of the house. Slowly rotating the doorknob he stepped into the cool air and surveyed the road before him, waving at Maggy as she climbed onto her bicycle for the trip into the woods. She smiled back and returned the gesture, then took off along the rickety stones. The sound of clacking spokes faded away as she moved off into the distance and out of sight. And then a sound the village had never heard before. A low rumble, a thudding sound, as a black motor car came down the path into the village. The driver was a well-dressed city man, tall and young, with a blonde moustache and a bowler hat. His coat billowed in the air as the vehicle moved along. Adam could not help but frown at the machine- he had seen pictures before, but never this ugly, noisy thing in real life. The man noticed him and came over, carefully navigating the wheels around the largest stones, and approached the old farmer. "Good morning! I'm Edward Kaufman, from the university. Here's my card." A neat, professional business card exchanged hands. The farmer glanced at it and looked back up. "Good morning to you too, sir. Can't say we've had many city types here recently, but I trust you have arranged accommodation? Not many places to stay up here." "Ah, well. As it happens, I brought a tent and was planning to sleep out by the abbey." "The abbey eh? What's so interesting there?" Adam didn't bother with the cordialities. "Oh, historical significance. I just wanted to check in with the village, make sure you all knew I was here, and the like. I hope not to be here too long, but it would be a pity to alienate myself from the locals here. Don't you think?" "Seems reasonable to me. Well, good luck with your investigation sir, and good bye." The stranger smiled strangely. "Farewell, then." The car began to make a ticking noise and then surged into life once more, clattering away down the path. Chapter Two- Styracosaurus Rider "We've found it." Braha smiled as he looked into the screen, and sat back in his seat. The Tri'shan had been searching for the little bugger for two days straight now, and it was a welcome pleasure to be back on track. All they had to do now was get it back on their craft and continue on their way, L'mar poked his head in from the next room. "You picked up a signature trace?" he asked. "Yes I did," Braha said, hissing in satisfaction. He beckoned at L'mar with a three fingered hand. "Come and see." "So where'd the Abomination end up?" "It's in the next star system over, third planet out. Let me get a better reading," Braha said, and turned a dial. The picture zoomed in and became clearer, revealing an image of a mid-sized planet. A trail of yellow dots ended at the planet's surface. "Class-E planet, water-covered, fairly standard atmosphere. The Abomination came down on a northerly island, by the looks of it. Should be an easy enough job." L'mar nodded. "Should I get Mrigo up here?" "If you want. She's the one who's supposed to know all about this thing." Braha checked a timestamp on the control panel. "But get yourself suited up first. We arrive in approximately twenty deks. And then we go after it." L'mar disappeared past a corner, and Braha emerged from his seat. Once this was over, he'd make sure that the cargo deck was properly sealed. The Abomination couldn't just escape from their grasp again. This was the deal of a lifetime. Chapter Three- Holbenilord "He was headed straight for the abbey, I tell you. I don't know what this fellow is up to but it's nothing good for the town. When's anyone ever cared about that old building? It's not on the maps, it's not in the books, it's our little secret and we can't have this... intruder stumbling around out here. He might find something we don't want to be found." There were many quiet ayes and affirmative mutterings from around the table. Adam leant back on his chair and motioned to Harold, who looked ready to speak. The younger man adjusted his sleeve and spoke up. "I'm worried, I really am. This is no coincidence and this man obviously knows more than any outsider should. We're going to have to confront him and make sure he doesn't go spreading rumours around, or summoning any more strangers to Murton. It's our village and we can't become some hostel for professors and scientists." "Good points, Harold, we can't lay back and let this man walk all over us. He comes by tomorrow and I'm going to give him a piece of my mind. Don't any of you act welcoming to him. Make it clear his intrusion will not be met with hospitality. Right. I've got to put the children to bed, but I think that concludes our town meeting for tonight. Any more points anyone would like to make?" He scanned the others, some of whom where shaking their heads. "Good. We're all agreed. Same place, same time tomorrow, everyone." ---- The sun had left the sky but the stranger still wandered the ruined abbey, an almost predatory look in his eyes as he pulled the vine-sealed door open and entered into the shadowy nave of the abbey church. He took a step forward and listened to the sound echo around the walls, bouncing back and forth between the sandstone, slowly fading into silence. With a glance at the rotting pews, he took the bag from under his arm and began to set up his tent in front of the altar. Once finished, from his pocket he produced a wooden box from which a twisting aerial protruded. Setting it upon the ground a few metres from his sleeping-place, he crawled into the tent and closed his eyes to rest. Chapter Four- Styracosaurus Rider The rugged, metallic ship landed silently in a moonlit field of oatgrass. The exit hatch opened up and out stepped the three creatures, armored and carrying an array of nets and weaponry. Braha looked up at the planet's single, almost pitiful moon, and then shifted his eyes to Mrigo. She was in charge now. "Remember," Mrigo began, "turn your lights on. The Abomination is going to be camouflaged in this place, and it won't show up on the infrared sensors. You're just going to have to use your eyes. I know you don't like it, but neither do I." "Should we split up?" L'mar asked. "Cover more ground?" Mrigo grimaced. "No. If one of us runs into the Abomination alone...well, you've seen what happens." "I'd be a lot happier if we brought the teleports with us," Braha hissed through clenched teeth. "So would I. But if the natives run into us and get their hands on the technology, we're going to have a hell of a time getting it back. We find the Abomination, capture it, and then leave as soon as we can." Braha sighed in resignation. "What's the reading?" L'mar asked him. "It's not too far. Just over that rise there." They continued forward, into a grove of trees. The wood was unusually quiet here, and little moonlight shone down from the sky. Braha thought that he could hear a sound of breathing, somewhere among the trees, but he could not tell if it was merely his own imagination. "Are we close?" Mrigo whispered. "It should be right in front of us," Braha whispered back. He pointed his light in front of him, but there was only a tree there. He glanced back at Mrigo. "What now, then?" "Get ready to catch it," she said, and brought out another gun. "You're suggesting that it's actually the tree," Braha whispered. "Don't ask questions." The three of them raised their guns. "On my mark," Mrigo said. "Ready - " Suddenly, there was a shimmer of light, and a glowing blue object appeared in front of them. Mrigo widened her eyes. "What in the name of - " "Gotcha!" A humanoid figure with unusual hair and clothes popped out of the blue thing and waved vaguely at the group. "Hello there!" "Identify yourself," Braha barked, keeping his gun raised. He was trying very hard to maintain his composure and to not gawk at the gangly figure in front of him wearing some eccentric sort of neckwear. The man clapped his hands together. "I'm the Doctor, you're three Garachians pointing guns at me, which isn't the best combination I've seen today. Garachians are a lovely sort most of the time, bit carnivorous at times, though. Am I to assume that you're looking for something? Something important?" "Do you have the Abomination?" Mrigo asked. "The Abomination, so that's what you're calling it. Whatever it is. But no, I don't have it," the Doctor said, pacing back and forth. "But I do know that there's something out here emitting large amounts of vyris energy, which isn't very common around this part of the galaxy. The TARDIS detected it, so I decided to wait here and see what happened. I figured someone would pop in and see what it was all about." "The Abomination escaped from our ship and landed here," L'mar explained. "And now we're here to pick it up again." "Good, good," the Doctor nodded, "but first, you're going to tell me what you're looking for and why. From the beginning." He smiled. The three Garachians looked at each other. This venture might not go as smoothly as they hoped it to. Chapter Five- Holbenilord This was not the most comfortable night of Edward Kaufman's life. He could feel the cold stone floor even through his blanket and the tent floor, and no position was agreeable to him for more than a moment. But he tried to ignore the sensation and concentrate on falling into pleasant oblivion, waiting for the veil of unconsciousness to fall over his eyes. Perhaps this was no cushy bed from his study in the university tower, but it was all he had for tonight, and he resolved to sleep tonight. And with a little effort, reality began to sink away, and the darkness overtook him. ---- Awake. It was still dark, the floor was still cold, and his back ached horribly. Why had he awoken- The device he had placed rung again, its improvised detector clicking mechanically. Hurriedly, he threw off the blankets, grabbed his revolver, and pushed himself out through the tent door. He grabbed the machine in his free hand and looked about the shadows, searching for movement, the blurriness of exhaustion parting as adrenaline surged through his veins. There was a sound from behind him and he whirled about, gun pointed and trembling in his hand. From the darkness came a shape, a ghostly thing with undefined edges. Ethereal and almost translucent, perhaps Edward thought he could make out smaller shapes bursting into life and fading away within it, a constant bubbling foam of tetrahedrons, spheres, and cubes. Something like a tendril reached out quickly and touched the man's forehead, but he felt nothing. Immediately, the shape began to resolve, and he found himself faced with a woman- a young woman, but grim and dour, clad in black armour. Her eyes were blank and soulless, but she opened her mouth to speak. "Run. Pathetic. Creature. Run." Chapter Six- Styracosaurus Rider "Whatever you're doing here, you should leave," Mrigo said to the Doctor. "This matter is above you." "No, no, I'm afraid you're not going to get rid of me that easily," the Doctor said. "You're up to something potentially dangerous, and I need to know what it is. What happens if something goes wrong?" There was a brief silence, but then L'mar spoke up. "The Abomination. We...picked it up from a guy in the Hetraxis System. He told us we'd make good money off it. But it escaped, somehow, and we tracked it down here." The Doctor glared at the three reptilians in front of him. "So you're black market traders, then," the Doctor said. "You take whatever riches you can get your claws on and sell it to the highest bidder. Mind you, it looks like your cargo had other ideas. I don't blame it." Mrigo stared coldly at the Doctor. "Obviously, you're an offworlder. I presume you know something about forms of exotic alien life?" "Yes, you could say that." "Then you figure it out. Name the creature." The Doctor smiled. "Right! Love a challenge. You said you acquired it from the Hetraxis System, and that makes sense, vyris energy is only found in a little corner of the system. Judging by your equipment...let's see, paralysing chemicals to control larger creatures, waterproof armor for aquatics, camouflage for forest-dwellers, advanced sensors for infrared, ultraviolet, various types of radiation - hang on. You've got equipment for quite a large variety of possible lifeforms there." "Yes," Mrigo sighed. "So this thing that you're looking for is many different creatures -" The Doctor stopped, as the realization came to him. He started looking around at the shadowy woods. "...at once." "What?" Braha said, becoming concerned. "It's a Spectralian. A shapeshifter. A really, really dangerous one." The Doctor turned towards Mrigo. "Why didn't you tell me this earlier?" "It's bad enough that you know about it now," Mrigo hissed. "The fewer people that know about this, the better. Since you're aware, you're going to help us find it. Clear?" The Doctor didn't answer. "Ohhh dear," he said instead. "We're in big trouble now." Round Two Second round. Chapter One- Holbenilord Kaufman gulped, but it only hurt his dry throat. "Alice, what are you doing here? What is going on?" The woman stared at him blankly. "This shape. Was taken from your. Mind. There is. No 'Alice' here. I am Third Crystal Essence. Of the Spectralian Anarchy. You must. Run." "What? Wh- I don't-" "You are. Still talking. This is not. What I told you. To do." "Just tell me what's going on!" The shapeshifter's form began to blur, and she lifted a struggling Kaufman up before throwing him out the doorway. For twenty yards he flew threw the air, and he cried out in pain as he hit the grass outside. Picking himself up, he rushed towards the threshold again, but tripped upon a rock and fell onto his face. Winded, he lay there in the dirt for a few seconds and listened. The forest was still. He could hear no leaves rustling, no owl hooting, no fox crying out into the night. Only his own breathing and the beating of his heart sounded in his ears. Gingerly, painfully, he picked himself up and peered through the open doors. From inside the building was coming a faint white light, dim but pervasive, casting weak shadows of the pews and pillars. And there was the Spectralian, now in the shape of some large reptilian, tearing up floor tiles with foot-long claws, frantically digging down into the foundations, searching for something. Chapter Two- Styracosaurus Rider This article has been marked as incomplete. Please await for more. Category:Styracosaurus Rider